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Tag: PDP

  • 2019: I am PDP’s best candidate – Bafarawa

    A presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa declared on Monday that he is the party’s best candidate for next year’s presidential election.

    He said: “As a politician and democrat, I think I am the right person to represent the PDP in 2019 presidential election because I have been trained as a politician, it is my career and my training. I am not a retired military officer or civil servant. I believe that with my experience and capability, I will be able to deliver the best for Nigerians.”

    He, however, said he does not see the PDP presidential ticket as a do- or- die affair as he is ready to support the party notwithstanding the primary election’s results.

    Speaking to journalists after meeting PDP members in Minna, Niger State, Bafarawa said he desires the best for Nigerians.

    The ex-Sokoto governor added: “If we are democrats, we play the game according to the rules. We should respect winning and losing. For those who join the party for the purpose of being the presidential or governorship candidate, they will leave the party after the primaries.

    “I am a democrat and I see it as a game. I will never give up PDP whether I succeed or not. I will support the party in its quest to win the presidential election in 2019.”

     

     

  • PDP is dead in Lagos, says Igbokwe

    Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State Joe Igbokwe has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is dead in Lagos.

    According to Igbokwe, since the 2015 elections which the PDP lost, despite the enormous resources brought by former President Goodluck Jonathan, the party is yet to find its feet.

    Igbokwe, who was reacting to a statement by the PDP that it will take over power in Lagos in 2019, described the statement as day-dreaming. He said: “If they failed to win in 2015 with the millions of dollars Jonathan brought to Lagos, where would they get such kind of money in 2019?

    “They will never have that kind of opportunity in 2019. Does PDP still exist in Lagos State? PDP is dead in Lagos. It was buried in 2015. They are making noise to impress their leaders and to attract life supporting oxygen from their sponsors.”

    The spokesman also condemned the murder of an APC chieftain, Comrade Bunmi Ojo, in Ado-Ekiti. Ojo, who was until his death a Commissioner of the Federal Character Commission, was killed with two others at a viewing centre.

    Igbokwe said the murder was unacceptable, and urged security operatives to unravel the culprits and bring them to justice.

  • APC to PDP: Explain to Nigerians how you fought corruption

    The All Progressives Congress ( APC ) on Sunday asked the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to explain to Nigerians how it fought corruption for the 16 years it held power when the national treasury was looted.

     

    The party said after presiding over monumental pilfering of national resources, the PDP should have been apologizing to Nigerians rather than presenting itself for elective offices and accusing government of not diligently fighting corruption.

     

    He said the allegation of non-diligence prosecution of the anti-corruption crusade by the Buhari government was part of the diversionary tactics of the opposition to delay the APC government from actualising its mandate.

     

    In a statement entitled “PDP Your Corruption Stench Suffocates Nigerians”, Acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena said unlike the PDP that looted the nation dry for 16 years, the APC will not fail in delivering on its promises to the Nigerian people.

     

    Nabena said despite spirited efforts by the PDP to discredit the anti-corruption efforts, the war is being won, adding that one often overlooked major achievement of the anti-corruption war is that President Buhari has brought the issue of corruption to the heart of national consciousness.

     

    The statement reads: “Although the opposition in a democracy is supposed to offer constructive criticisms and proffer alternative solutions to government policies and programmes, the opposition rhetoric of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is nothing but senseless noise-making, in its failed attempt to distract the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

    “In both content and context, PDP’s latest allegations on President Buhari administration’s anti-corruption efforts should be seen for what they are: empty, baseless and diversionary.

    “It is truly amazing that that the party of a failed government which held the country prostrate for 16 years; stole, wasted and misappropriated our abundant resources will have the audacity to make comments on the current administration that within three years is clearing the rot left after the PDP’s misrule.

    “Was it not under the PDP’s immediate-past administration that disclosures of nauseating magnitude were made”

    Nabena listed such disclosure to include:

    • I collected N350m from Dasuki for consultation – Iyorchia Ayu
    • I only collected $30,000 from Dasuki not N100m – Bode George.
    • I got N4.6b from Dasuki for spiritual purposes – Bafarawa.
    • I got N2.16 from Dasuki for publicity purposes – Dokpesi.
    • I got another N100m from Yuguda. He did not tell me from where – Bafarawa
    • I gave N100m each to Odili, Jim Nwobodo, Bode George and others – Yuguda.
    • The President asked to change N10b to foreign currency for PDP delegates – Dasuki.
    • N950m was shared in my house – Shekarau

    He said further: “These are just a tip of the iceberg of how our commonwealth were massively looted by the shameless characters in the PDP. Instead of apologizing profusely for their gang rape of the nation, the PDP seeks to present itself before Nigerians in 2019 to seek a return to their stealing. The PDP should understand that Nigerians cannot forget in a hurry how the country was destroyed by the PDP’s gang of pen robbers.

    “The PDP may wish to explain to Nigerians under which administration a State Governor who was set free in many courts in Nigeria on charges of corruption and money laundering was tried and jailed in the United Kingdom.

    “Is it not ironic that the PDP preaches about corruption in the oil sector when it infact oversaw record pillage, maladministration and disrepair of the oil sector when it held sway.

    “The PDP should remind Nigerians the circumstances under which the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), now Emir of Kano, lost his job in the bank. How many millions of dollars did he say was not remitted to the nation’s coffers on regular basis?

    “The PDP may also explain the fuel subsidy scandals and how billions of the country’s funds went into private pockets; the massive seizures of properties and cash from public officers who served in the PDP Government.

    “In 2015, Nigerians voted massively for the establishment of a truly progressive government to check the shocking level of impunity, corruption, disregard for the rule of law and other deplorable undemocratic practices which previously defined our national life. The APC assures all Nigerians that the President hold sacred this collective trust.

    “Despite spirited efforts to discredit on-going anti-corruption efforts, the war against graft is being won. An often overlooked major achievement of the anti-corruption war is that President Buhari has brought the issue of corruption to the heart of national consciousness.

    “The fact that Nigerians are talking about it means we have not accepted it as a way of life and as long as ordinary people continue to show that disdain for corruption, we would win the war sooner or later.

    “Under President Buhari, the country has never had it so good. Yearly remittances by the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) have been in billions of Naira, over and above what PDP governments remitted in 16 years; increasing yearly revenue from the Customs Service; within three years and despite low oil prices, execution of massive road and rail infrastructure while our foreign reserves has grown to over $47 billion- about $4billion more than that of South Africa.

    “Under the administration of President Buhari, no minister will purchase bullet proof cars with public funds, nor will an oil minister junket the globe with family members in private jets at the public expense.

    “Nigerians were taken for granted for too long and have vowed that enough is now enough. No degree of blackmail and wicked scheming will make us return to the years the locusts have eaten. We have crossed the Red Sea and have no intention to return to our ugly past.

    “While the PDP and their agents attempt to discredit the ongoing fight against corruption, the question the PDP should answer is: are anti-corruption efforts being carried out within the ambit of the law?

    “We urge the President, law enforcement agencies, anti-graft bodies and indeed Nigerians not to be sidetracked by the desperate and roguish attempt by the PDP and their agents to discredit the ongoing fight against corruption. It is natural, corruption will fight back!

    “The assurances Nigerians can hold firm is that the APC will not fail the country like PDP’s wasted 16 years. While the PDP continue to spew lies in its cheap attempt at opposition politics, President Buhari is concentrating on the important work at hand – clearing the mess and rebuilding the country in all facets.”

     

  • 2019 POLL: Who wears the cap in PDP?

    Ahead of the primaries for the 2019 general election, the parties are neck deep in permutations on who to elect as their presidential candidates. While it is taken for granted that President Muhammadu Buhari might enjoy the Right of First Refusal in the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC), the hot enclave is the main opposition group, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) where 12 aspirants jostle for a presidential ticket. Our Managing Editor, Northern Operation, Yusuf Alli and Group Political Editor, Emmanuel Oladesu assess the chances of the PDP aspirants.

    AFTER the hullabaloo over defections, the die is cast in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which has to pick its presidential candidate in a matter of weeks. By the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)  for the 2019 poll, all parties have to elect their presidential, governorship, National  Assembly and State Assembly  candidates between August 18  and  October 7, 2018. The primaries for the FCT Area Council Elections will commence on September 4 and end on October 27, 2018.

    The presidential primary election of the PDP will be highly instructive for the following reasons:

    It will indicate if PDP really has learnt its lesson or could walk the talk  after 16 years of abysmal failure in power; it will produce a main challenger to President Buhari. It is likely to determine whether or not the party can make any impact in 2019 poll.

    .Nigerian voters will be able to tell if they have an alternative  to Buhari.                              .The PDP primaries will be a beacon for measuring how keen and colourful the next presidential poll will be.

    With its persistent vicious attacks on the administration of Buhari and recourse to merger or alliance talks with about 45 mushroom parties, the pressure is more on PDP than its arch-rival, the APC. For a party noted for money-politics than issues, the conduct of the primaries will make or mar its electoral fortunes.

    So far, about 12 aspirants have emerged in the party for the presidential primaries. It is a motley crowd. The aspirants are ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso;  ex-Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Kabiru Turaki; Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo;  ex-Governor Ibrahim Shekarau; ex-Governor Sule Lamido; a former Interim National Chairman of PDP, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi;  Governor Ayodele Fayose; ex-Governor Attahiru Bafarawa;  Datti Baba Ahmed; and the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki whose body language has shown a serious desire for the office . Analysts believe that Saraki is pretentiously busy testing the waters. The visit of 45 political parties to him on Thursday in Abuja was much more than the solidarity visit.

     

    THE TENDENCIES IN PDP WHICH WILL SHAPE THE PARTY’S PRIMARIES

    About seven  tendencies have been in the PDP in the last 20 years of its existence . There is the military cabal which formed/ joined the party . This cabal is represented  by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, ex-Military President Ibrahim Babangida, ex-Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Theophillus Danjuma and ex-NSA Gen. Aliyu Gusau.  There are also the surviving elements of G-34 used as a springboard to form the party but shoved aside later;  the new generation of power brokers in the party revolving around the shadows of Governor Nyesom Wike who is now in control of the party’s structure; the present crop of PDP  governors who control delegates to the primaries; the old brigade of governors under the leadership of Makarfi and ably supported by Lamido, ex-Governor Liyel Imoke and ex-Governor Gabriel Suswam among others;  the anonymous captains of industry, bank executives, oil sector cabal who share the ideals of the PDP secretly and benefited tremendously through humongous patronage during its  16 years inglorious rule  ; and now the defectors under the leadership of Saraki who has been branded as the national leader of PDP at a recent emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party to the consternation of many dyed- in – the – wool faithful.

    The incessant shuttles to ex-President Obasanjo in Abeokuta (whose ghost is still haunting PDP), the Hill Top mansion of Babangida in Minna, the T.Y. Danjuma haven in Lagos and the modest Asokoro residence of Gusau pointed to how much reverence the party leaders and members still accord the military cabal which joined the party and produced Obasanjo as the nation’s President in 1999. Virtually all presidential aspirants have turned the homes of these military heavyweights to consulting clinics. Also, barely a few hours after addressing a world press conference on Wednesday on the siege to the National Assembly,  Saraki jetted out to Minna to meet with Babangida, which was a confirmation of the influence still being wielded by the ex-military leaders. These past leaders have been fingered in the looming coalition of forces against APC.

    With the way the PDP governors installed the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, it is glaring that they will play a major role in the choice of the party’s presidential candidate. Apart from keeping faith with the mutual power agreement which brought Secondus to power, the governors control the party structure at state level and they also determine the voting pattern of delegates from their states. A member of the National Working Committee said: “The governors have been dictating the pace in the PDP since 2003. They are natural kingmakers and I don’t think 2019 will be different because most of the statutory delegates are either their appointees or loyalists.”

    Notwithstanding these tendencies in the PDP, all the 12 aspirants have been traversing every corner of the country in order to seek the support of governors and delegates. But the big question is how will these tendencies play out in the choice of the party’s flag bearer ?

     

    ATIKU ABUBAKAR

    A former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar is the only veteran presidential aspirant among those seeking the mandate of PDP for 2019 poll. He has been in the race since 1992 and he has lost the battle at pre-primaries, primaries scheming, primaries and outright presidential election to the late Chief M.K.O Abiola (1992); ex-President Obasanjo (2003); ex-President Umaru Yar’Adua (2007) even while on clutches; ex-President Goodluck Jonathan (2011) despite being the candidate of the Northern Political Leaders Forum; and President Muhammadu Buhari (2015) where he came third in the APC presidential primaries in Lagos.

    His political career has been topsy-turvy with most of the time emerging as a loser. For instance in 1989, Atiku had his baptism under his late mentor,  Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua when he emerged as the  National Vice-Chairman of the Peoples Front of Nigeria(PFN) during the transition programme of the military regime of ex-President Ibrahim Babangida. Despite the fact that he secured a seat into the Constituent Assembly in 1989, the PFN was not registered by the military junta. He had no choice than to pitch tents with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which was one of the two parties registered by the military government.

    In November 1991, he won the gubernatorial primaries of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) but he was disqualified by the then military government from participating in the elections. In 1992, he stepped down for Abiola to emerge as SDP candidate with a bargain to become the party’s Vice Presidential candidate but Amb. Babagana Kingibe was picked as Abiola’s running mate to the consternation of all party members. In December 1998, he won the governorship poll in Adamawa State but before he could be sworn in, Obasanjo nominated him as the nation’s Vice President, the highest post he has attained in his political career. Yet the romance between him and Obasanjo lasted only the first term in office as Atiku spent the second term in turbulence.

    And for aspiring to be the nation’s President in 2019, Obasanjo has de-marketed Atiku again. About a week ago, the ex-President, who is one of those working in concert with PDP against President Buhari, said: “How can I be on the same side with Atiku? To do what? If I support Atiku for anything, God will not forgive me. If I do not know, yes. But once I know, Atiku can never enjoy my support…”

    In terms of political leverage, vast network, sourcing for good hands and having a consistent solid structure, Atiku towers above other 11 aspirants in the PDP but his chances are still very slim unless the party will not factor Obasanjo into its permutations. And for Atiku, who will be 72 in November, this appears his last chance.

    Notwithstanding, Atiku is very strong in Adamawa; Taraba; Bauchi;  the Southeast  states( Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Imo) because of his long term relationship with the Igbo;  and two or three South-south states like Akwa Ibom and Delta( because of lbori, his long time associate who is the godfather of Governor lfeanyi Okowa). When he contested in 2007 on the platform of the Action Congress (AC), he secured 2,637,848 compared to President Muhammadu Buhari’s 6,605,299 votes and late Yar’Adua’s 24,638,063 votes. But he secured more votes in Imo, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Osun than Buhari. Then, APC chieftain Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his associates worked for him as they were all in the ACN. Today, Tinubu and his men are solidly behind Buhari. In the PDP,  some notable figures like Bode George, Aduke Maina may back him. But his biggest obstacle is the PDP governors club

    RATING. One of the tendencies in the party is to his advantage . This is the big businessmen , the business moguls and oil cabal who related with him while he was Vice President. They may not be too relevant for now, this being a party affair, except they are able to prevail on the governors to let Atiku be. Nonetheless, the former VP is a resilient aspirant, a renowned strategist,  a tough fighter with a deep pocket,  and a bad loser. He might not work for the success of the PDP if he loses the primaries. Will he jump ship if he is not picked, particularly if the primary is seen to be manipulated ? Time will tell.

     

    AMINU WAZIRI TAMBUWAL

    The Governor of Sokoto State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, is taking a second shot at the presidential ticket having tried in vain in 2015 to get the APC ticket. Buoyed by a successful tenure as the Speaker of the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2015,  Tambuwal felt the next stage of his political career is presidency. Born on January 10, 1966, Tambuwal is  notorious for defecting from one party to another since 1999. He had cut his teeth in legislative engineering when he became a Personal Assistant on Legislative Affairs to a former Senate Leader, Sen. Abdullahi Wali between  1999 and  2000 . Wali  was of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP). By 2003, he got elected into the House of Representatives on the ticket of the All Nigeria Peoples Party(ANPP) to represent  Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency. But in 2007, he defected to the Democratic Peoples Party(DPP) but when the terrain was tough, he made a U-Turn to ANPP to  regain his ticket for re-election. He later left ANPP  in 2007 for PDP with his new found godfather, ex-Governor Aliyu Wammako. While as Speaker of the House of Representatives, he had one leg in the PDP and the other leg in the ACN. He worked assiduously against the PDP and then President Goodluck Jonathan just to please the ACN and retain his seat as the ACN was instrumental to his election as Speaker.

    By October 28, 2014, Tambuwal was finally done with PDP when he joined a new coalition called the All Progressives Congress(APC). Again on August 1, 2018, he  ditched APC by defecting to PDP. Some political pundits call him ” the doyen of defection.”Although some attribute his persistent defection to “political vision and smartness,” others rate him as  being too  “slippery” as a politician.

    His latest move was attributed to his presidential ambition being oiled by  his political soul mate, Governor Nyesom Wike who  has pocketed PDP structure with the aid of other governors.

    His greatest asset is legislative finesse which earned him many plum positions including being a Minority Leader, a Deputy Chief Whip and the ultimate prize of serving as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. His opponents believe that the allure of leading the House has made him overrate himself. They also contend that  his tenure as governor has been less robust because the executive position is more tasking and demanding.  A former member of his cabinet said: “He is brilliant but he is inexperienced when it comes to managing in an executive position. He hardly calls meeting of the State Executive Council.”

    RATING : Other than relying on Wike, there is little his past experience can fetch him in winning the PDP ticket. Some PDP governors do not buy into Wike’s agenda of handing over the presidential ticket of the party to Tambuwal on a platter of gold.

    The governor looks strong in Sokoto, Akwa lbom, Rivers, Zamfara, Edo( the Edo PDP chairman, Dan Orbih, will do Wike’s bidding any day ) . But if he gets the backing of all PDP governors, his aspiration will come to fruition and most of the states will vote for him.

     

    TANIMU KABIRU TURAKI

    A quiet and oratorical aspirant, Tanimu Kabiru Turaki(SAN), a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs,  appears to be the underdog and  the favourite of the  Third Force in the PDP, going by the composition of his directorate. His aspiration appeals to the  die-hard of the loyalists of the kingmakers in the party. There are powerful  forces from the camps of ex-Presidents Obasanjo, Babangida, Goodluck Jonathan and ex-VP Namadi Sambo managing his campaign. They include the Director-General of the TKT, ex-Governor Boni Haruna ;  Deputy DG(North), ex-Military Governor, Col. Habibu Shuaibu ; Deputy DG ( South), ex-Minister Stephen Oru;  Director,  Media and Publicity, Mr Sola Atere; Director, Contact and Mobilization, Barr. Caleb Mftwang;  Director, Women Affairs, Ugbechi Nwuche;  Director, Youth, Stanley Nwabuisi; Deputy Director, Contact and Mobilization, Dr. Donald Emeka Nwachukwu; and  Deputy Director, Media, Umar Sani.

    No aspirant has toured the country like  the man they call TKT. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Danmasanin Gwandu,  Turaki has good  grasp of all issues in the country and his vision is always clear at any function

    Since he threw his hat into the ring, many Nigerians have been eager to know his political antecedents which his opponents have dismissed as unimpressive. Wikipedia captures his political trajectory as follows: “He was Secretary, Youth Wing, of National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1981. He joined United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) in 1996 where he stood as Kebbi State Gubernatorial aspirant for the party in 1998, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki joined All Peoples’ Party where he was member of its National Executive Committee and in 2000 he was elevated to member of its Board of Trustees (BOT).

    “However, following some realignment of forces,  Kabiru defected to the United Nigerian Peoples’ Party and contested for the seat of Kebbi State Governor in 2003. After the 2003 elections, he later decamped to PDP the same year and was the Party’s Kebbi State Gubernatorial Aspirant in 2007. Following series of betrayals and numerous controversies, Kabiru decided to Join the ACN in 2011.

    “This, however, did not last as he later returned to PDP the same year. In 2014/15, looking at his wealth of experience, Kabiru was appointed Deputy Director General (North) of PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation.”

    One of the most difficult tasks he handled as a Minister was when on April 24, 2013, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, appointed him as the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North to open talks with  the leadership of Boko Haram insurgents and  explore conditions or terms for amnesty for the insurgents. According to a report, the  committee initiated  the “process of disarmament and de-radicalization of Boko Haram members.”

    RATING : He is an underdog . He may do well in his home state.

     

    IBRAHIM HASSAN DANKWAMBO

    Until he became the governor of Gombe State in 2011, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo has been a thorough professional with a PhD in accounting from Igbinedion University. Among all the aspirants in PDP, he is rated as the least in terms of political experience. Aside from his  sterling records of performance in Gombe State, little is known about him politically beyond his immediate environment. At 56, Dankwambo is young. He is well educated and an experienced and tested technocrat, having successfully managed Nigeria’s treasury as Accountant General of the Federation. His opponents say he is still learning the ropes in politics but his minders contend that he has paid his dues. In 2015, against all predictions, he survived the Buhari gale that swept off many PDP Governors in the North. Though the PDP lost the state to the APC in the presidential election, the reverse was the case in the governorship. Dankwambo won despite the formidable opposition by former governor of the state and APC senator Danjuma Goje.

    Dankwambo is an active and respected member of the PDP Governors Forum. He stood by the PDP in its most turbulent time, working with Wike, Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa lbom, Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa to revamp the party. His opponents also say he has no baggage unlike some other aspirants. Though seen as a dark horse, political watchers are not ruling him out. In the Northeast, he only has Atiku to contend with.

    RATING: He will do well in Gombe,and to a large extent in Bauchi and other states in the Northeast. He has a chummy relationship with Fayose, Wike and Udom Emmanuel. Former President Goodluck Jonathan is also believed to be well disposed to him. If he is adopted by PDP governors, he may be the candidate to beat.

     

    IBRAHIM SHEKARAU

    If ex-Governor Ibrahim Shekarau follows through his presidential aspiration, it will be the second time he will take a shot at it. He had a spectacular outing during the presidential elections in 2011. A foremost Mathematics teacher who demystified ex-Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso by defeating the then incumbent governor on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party(ANPP), he has since defected from ANPP to PDP.  With paltry votes of 917,012, he came a distant fourth in the 2011 presidential race behind ex-President Jonathan(22,495,187 votes); President Buhari of the former CPC(12,214,853 votes) and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, who earned 2,079,151 votes.

    With his political rival, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso also in the race for the presidential ticket,  Shekarau  might have a slim chance because he does not have enormous resources like Kwankwaso who beat Atiku to a third place at the APC presidential primaries in 2015.

    RATING : He is well-respected for his integrity, selflessness,  austere lifestyle and religious outlook  in Kano, Bauchi , Kaduna, Borno, Zamfara, and Yobe states. His political differences with Buhari might be his Achilles Heel even if he gets the PDP ticket. A Herculean  task.

     

    DATTI BABA AHMED

    A principled activist, a one-time Senator and the Pro-Chancellor of Baze University, Datti Baba Ahmed has spent more on advertisements than any aspirant. He was one of those who resisted the third term ambition of ex-President Obasanjo in 2006 as a member of the House of Representatives. As an early bird in the race, not much is known about him in PDP. His major setback was his abandonment of politics to concentrate on his university project. He is more of a future minister than a presidency material in a party where intrigues and  cash play key roles. It is difficult to say he controls any state but Kaduna is the family fortress. The descendants of Baba-Ahmed are noted for openness, sincerity and service to humanity.

    RATING: No impact

     

    Saraki:

    Senate President Bukola Saraki has not officially declared for the presidency, but, he has not denied reports linking him with the contest. His defection to the party last week was applauded by party leaders who immediately gave him the title of PDP National Leader. As the Chairman of the National Assembly, the number three citizen is the most senior PDP chieftain occupying an elective office.

    Generally, if political pedigree, experience and competence are the prime criteria, Saraki, a medical doctor-turned politician, is eminently qualified to bid for the ticket. The Kwara State kingpin has inherited a formidable structure from his illustrious father, Second Republic Senate Leader Olusola Saraki, which he has continued to fortify. Up to now, he is the indisputable and indomitable leader of Kwara, held in high esteem by his fanatical followers.

    Between 2000 and 2003, Dr. Saraki was Senior Special Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Food Security. He was governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011. During the period, he was the Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF). He was among the PDP big wigs who called it quits with the party in 2015. He was elected senator representing Kwara Central District in 2011 and Senate President three and half years ago. His defection last week upset the All Progressives Congress (APC). The ruling party is still mounting pressure on him to resign as Senate President.

    Saraki defected from the APC to the PDP to protest what he has described as maltreatment, victimization and marginalisation. It was not certain whether he negotiated for the PDP presidential ticket during his pre-defection parley with the PDP leadership. Saraki is a household name in the country. He is a popular politician. But, he is more popular in his Kwara base where he seems to have no formidable rival. To observers, he has the financial war chest, only second to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. He also enjoys the support of many of the nation’s moneybags who allegedly financed him to emerge as Senate President and are believed to be secretly oiling his political machine. If he throws his hat into the ring, he will get the bloc votes of Kwara PDP delegates at the primary. Also, some senators who are rooting for him may convince pockets of delegates from other states and zones to endorse him.

    However, the buck stops at the PDP Governors’ Forum. The PDP governors hold the ace. If Saraki is genuinely interested in the presidential ticket, he will be banking on the bloc endorsement of the governors. Yet, there is no evidence that the governors are on the same page. Not even Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo, who is in the race, is assured of collective endorsement by his colleagues. Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, according to a source, is only willing to mobilise delegates from the state to support an aspirant who is favourably disposed to his vice presidential candidate. While River State Governor Nyesom Wike is said to be considering titling the pendulum towards Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, not all his colleagues are looking in the same direction.

    A major hurdle for Saraki is his perception as a Yoruba, although he is from the Northcentral region. During critical contests, the Yoruba people of Kwara and Kogi states are hardly perceived as core northerners. A case in point was Obasanjo’s stiff opposition to the ambition of the late Chief Sunday Awoniyi, the Aro of Mopa, to become the PDP national chairman. While Awoniyi said he was a northerner, Obasanjo said he was a Yoruba. The former president said since a Yoruba was president, another Yoruba could not be party chairman.

    RATING: He is a national figure. He may get the votes of statutory delegates like PDP senators and House members . Kwara ,his home state, is intact.

     

    Kwankwaso:

    The former governor of Kano State, Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso, is a long standing politician. He is an experienced actor. In the Third Republic, he was the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. In 1999, he became the governor of Kano State. When his re-election bid hit the rock in 2003, former President Obasanjo appointed him as Minister of Defense. In 2011, he succeeded his successor and arch-rival, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau. As governor, Kwankwaso was a performer. He fought the infrastructure battle in the Northwest state and handed over the reins to his deputy, Alhaji Ibrahim Ganduje. The former governor is a grassroots mobiliser. He presides over a formidable structure, Kwakwansiyya Group, which is also akin to a foundation.

    Kwankwaso cannot be underrated in politics. In 2015 when he competed for the APC ticket won by President Muhammadu Buhari, he came second at the primary, beating the Turaki Adamawa, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to the third position. He was able to achieve that feat, as it were, because he was governor. Apart from the protracted rift between him and Ganduje, Senator Kwankwaso had other motives for dumping the APC. His ambition is to occupy the highest seat in the land. Following President’s declaration of second term ambition, it was clear to him that the ticket would be reserved for the Commander-In-Chief.

    The former governor is not relenting. He is an aggressive campaigner with persuasive talents. He has traversed the six regions to sell his aspiration to party chieftains and potential delegates. His group, Kwakwansiyya, has increased its tempo of philanthropist activities and extended financial assistance to internally-displaced persons in some troubled spots across the country, especially in Benue State, Yobe State and Osun states. He is in regular contact with prominent party leaders, particularly the governors, party officials and elders.

    When he retraced his steps to the APC, the tension between him and Shekarau became the main issue. Shekarau, a chieftain of the APC, defected to the PDP in 2015 because he loathed staying in the same camp with Kwankwaso. However, the two politicians have met, embraced and pledged to team up to rebuild Kano PDP. Kwankwaso has loyal followers, but not all of them are willing to jump ship along with him. To analysts, it is doubtful, if the former governor can repeat the 2015 feat which dazed Atiku at the primary. There are some party chieftains who believe that Kwankwaso has returned to the party he tried to destroy three years ago when he left for the APC. He may bounce back to reckoning in Kano PDP, but the delegates are divided over his ambition and that of Shekarau. Also, outside Kano, his support base is disputed. Although he has fans among Hausa/Fulani PDP members residing in the Southern zones, they represent a negligible fraction of total delegates.

    Kwankwaso is conversant with the game of survival. As a former governor, he is aware of the enormous influence of the PDP governors. Therefore, like other contenders, he is banking on the support of his former colleagues, without whose support his ambition will be aborted. If Shekarau opts out of the primary, then, Kwankwaso will get bloc votes from Kano delegates at the primary.

    RATING: Former President Obasanjo will not mind him having appointed him minister of defence.. Strong in Kano  and perhaps Katsina.

     

     

    Lamido:

    Former Kano State Governor Sule Lamido is a founding member of the PDP. He is not an amateur politician. In the Second Republic, he was a member of the House of Representaives on the platform of the proscribed Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). In the Third Republic, he was the National Secretary of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). In 1999, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 2007, he was elected as governor. In 2011, he was re-elected. He left behind worthy legacies which have remained a reference point in Jigawa. He was one of the outstanding PDP chieftains who rejected the overtures to defect to the APC in 2015.

    Lamido has a structure, the Siyasa Akida Network. The group is campaigning for him in the 19 northern states. But, he has also expanded the scope of consultations by visiting prominent PDP leaders and groups across the federation to sell his ambition to them. When he visited former President Obasanjo in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun State last week, the former leader showered encomiums on him, saying that he is competent to rule the country.

    However, the former governor faces predictable hurdles. He and his sons are on the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) radar. This has created perception problem.

    RATING:   He will get the votes of delegates from Jigawa. Weak elsewhere with many of the firm belief that he is not a presidential material

     

    Makarfi:

    Senator Ahmed Makarfi, former governor of Kaduna State, is a loyal, dedicated and consistent party chieftain. He had an impressive public service record before joining politics; as a teacher and commissioner. He was governor for eight years between 1999 and 2007. He was elected as senator in 2007. He has been eyeing the presidency since 2007.

    His staying power is personal integrity. He has not been associated with graft and public indecency. Therefore, many perceive him as a role model. When EFCC was hounding his former coleagues, he walked on the street as a freeman.

    When former President Obasanjo set up a Presidential Search Team, led by Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, to search for a competent and an acceptable candidate, majority of the governors were said to be rooting for Makarfi. The search took cognizance of zoning, which is a core principle in the PDP. However, the former president opted for the late Alhaji Umaru Yar’ Adua, who later succeeded him.

    Makarfi served as the Chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee, following the botched Port-Harcourt Convention, which polarised the party into two factions. He is unhappy that people who defected from the party and destroyed it are coming back to seek its presidential ticket. He had cried out that PDP returnees were taking over the platform from committed chieftains who waited behind to nurse it when it was ailing. The former governor asked:  “If the platform had been destroyed, would they have come back?” In his view, those who deserve the ticket are those who stayed behind to rescue the sinking ship of the party when it was deserted by the defectors.

    RATING : Makarfi is highly respected in the PDP. But, observers point out that he may not have enough resourcs to prosecute his agenda. He is in the good books of the party’s governors. If he is endorsed, he stands a good chance. It is expected that Kaduna delegates will vote for him at the primary.

     

    Bafarawa:

    Since he placed his hands on the political plough in the Second Republic, he has not looked back. Attahiru Bafarawa, governor of Sokoto State between 1999 and 2007, has always refused to go into oblivion. He is always hopeful.

    In 1979, he was a House of Representatives candidate on the platform of the Great Nigerian Peoples Party (GNPP), led by the late Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim. He was a delegate to the 1994/5 Constitutional Conference set up by the late military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha. As governor of Sokoto State, he was hardworking. He embarked on developmental programmmes for the benefit of his people, but, he was also controversial.

    In 2007, Sokoto slipped from his total grip. As the presidential candidate of the Democratic Peoples Party (PDP), he came third during the general election. Also, he could not install his preferred candidate as governor. When he realised that he could not secure the ticket of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011, he left for the PDP. According to observers, Bafarawa is a weak aspirant living on old glory. His support base is narrow. His aspiration lacks a national appeal.

    RATING: No base. He is seen as a joker.

  • PDP to APGA: Obiano is your last governor in Anambra

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State has asked the All Progressives Grand Alliance ( APGA ) to forget about fielding any candidate in the next governorship election in the state.

    The party said the incumbent governor of the state, Willie Obiano would be the last governor the party would produce in the state.

    The leader of PDP reconciliation committee in the state, Mr. Ngozi Agudozi, who stated this on Friday at Nnewi South council area of the state during a meeting with different factions of the party, described the state as PDP’s birthright.

    The PDP chieftain regretted the 14-year old internal crises of the party in the state, which he said APGA took advantage of to wrestle power from her, vowing to reclaim it at the expiration of Obiano’s tenure.

    He said, “APGA is like a faction of PDP in Anambra state. Today, they are claiming to have won 21/21 in the last polls which most of them can’t explain how it happened.

    “By the time I am through with this mission, we are going to say bye bye to APGA in Anambra State. I’m not boasting. Obiano will be the last governor of APGA in Anambra State. After Obiano, there won’t be any other APGA governor in Anambra.

    “Take it from me, this state belongs to us. There is no man, big or small in the state that have not drank from the milk of PDP.”

    Agudozi however denied being sponsored by certain stalwarts in the party, describing his mission as simply divine.

    Read Also: You can’t remove Saraki, Ekweremadu – PDP

    “Nobody is backing me. A lot of people don’t even like me because I say the truth the way it is. I’m convinced in this project because it is a divine mandate that I should go and reconcile my people so that our party can win elections.

    “I saw the crying and pains of party members at the grassroots. They are seeking for someone to give them sense of direction, which I will provide. That’s why they are embracing it.

    “I only consulted my leaders from the state in Abuja and I told them I’m going on this mission. Olisa Metu, Peter Obi and Chris Uba are my political leaders, but none of them sent me here. I’m here based on the interest for the state. And all of us are working together,” he stressed.

    A former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof Chukwuma Soludo and a chieftain of APGA, had, during last year’s gubernatorial electioneering campaign, boasted that APGA would rule Anambra State for 50 years.

    He said his prediction was informed by the developmental indices the party leadership had provided in the last twelve years the party held sway in the state.

  • You can’t remove Saraki, Ekweremadu – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) says the All Progressives Congress (APC) lacks the legislative number and constitutional facilities to remove Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.

    In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan on Friday in Abuja, the party advised the Presidency and the APC to “accept the reality’’.

    It said that Presidency and the APC, having realized that there was no way they could muster the constitutionally required two-third votes of the 109 senators, representing 73 senators, was now engaged in under-hand tactics.

    These, according to it, include the invasion of the National Assembly.

    “Even before then, Nigerians were already aware of moves to use humongous funds to induce lawmakers to trigger crisis in the National Assembly and pave the way for the removal of presiding officers.

    Read Also: Guber poll: Saraki, Mark to reconcile PDP aggrieved members in Osun

    “Now that they have discovered that there is no way they can achieve their devious intentions, they have commenced a war of blackmail,
    distortions of fact and media trial against the Senate leadership.”

    It said that the attempts would end up as another wasteful venture as Nigerians were aware of the long-drawn desperation to annex the legislature.

    The PDP added that even among the ranks of APC senators and members of House of Representatives, there is huge aversion to the tactics being deployed to force out duly elected presiding officers of the assembly.

    It said that such lawmakers were fully aligned with Nigerians, the PDP and the national assembly leadership in the protection of the independence, sanctity and integrity of the parliament and all democratic institutions in the country.

    “It is therefore instructive for both the Presidency and the APC to know that there is no way they can remove the leadership of the National Assembly, particularly the Senate.”

    It cautioned against over-heating the polity and attempts to circumvent rules and the Constitution, saying that such would not change the resolve of Nigerians to vote out APC in 2019.

  • PDP calls for unfreezing of Benue, Akwa Ibom accounts

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for immediate unfreezing of the official accounts of Akwa Ibom and Benue states  blocked by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

    PDP in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan on Wednesday in Abuja called on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo  to immediately order the EFCC to unfreeze the  accounts.

    He described the action of the anti-graft agency as a direct attack on innocent Nigerians in the two states.

    Ologbondiyan described the action  illegal, unconstitutional, overtly wicked and unjustifiable under any laws and practice of Nigeria.

    He advised the Presidency not to hide under the EFCC to unleash punishment and hardship on the people in states perceived to be opposed to the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2019 re-election bid.

    “Nigerians are all aware that no section of our constitution or any law in Nigeria for that matter confers any agency of the Federal Government with powers to interfere or put any restrictions on funds belonging or accruable to states as federating units of our nation.

    “Apart from its State Assembly, no other government body or institution has the powers of appropriation or restrictions on any funds belonging
    to the state.(NAN)

  • Defection: PDP chair mocks Akpabio for joining ‘sinking ship’

    The National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus has mocked the erstwhile Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akoabio, for jumping into a “sinking ship”.

    Akpabio had on Monday, dumped the PDP for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in a move perceived by many as ploy to leverage on his status in the APC.

    Read Also:Akpabio meets Buhari in UK ahead defection to APC

    Describing Akpabio’s action as unfortunate, Secondus said Akpabio chose to walk against the tide to endanger his otherwise rising political career.

    In a statement on Wednesday by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, the PDP chair said he found it very strange that anybody would go into a “sinking ship” at a time every other person was finding their way out of it.

    Secondus traced Akpabio’s action to self-preservation and not borne out of any rational strategic political decision.

    The party chair added that Akpabio’s decision did not enjoy the blessing of the people of Akwa Ibom whose mandate he enjoyed for eight years as state governor and his present position senator.

    Secondus said, “I cannot fathom any reason why on earth Senator Akpabio should work against the tide, moving at opposite direction to a place every reasonable person is escaping from.

    “He deserves our pity because whatever would make somebody to choose bad for good is clearly one that he should be prayed for, for salvation, especially given the fact that wolves are waiting for his arrival to devour him.

    “How on earth can anybody who has his eyes wide open be seen walking into danger knowingly”.

    Prince Secondus lashed out at the APC, for allegedly arm-twisting and intimidating people into what he described as a “sinking boat”, ostensibly to ruin and disintegrate the person involved.

    He called on the people of Akwa Ibom to be wise and know when to turn their back from a leader directing them to danger.

    “I urge you to remain focused and continue to give support to your hard working governor, His Excellency Emmanuel Udom as he remains unrelenting in the delivery of democracy to the people,” he said.

     

  • Six Kano lawmakers dump APC for PDP

    Six members of the Kano State House of Assembly dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday.

    The lawmakers are members of the KwanKwasiyya group.

    The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, while reading the defection letters at the plenary, said it became necessary for the defecting lawmakers to leave the APC because the party has failed to meet the aspiration and yearnings of the people they represent.

    The defectors are from six local government areas in the state and they are – Yusuf Babangida Suliaman (Gwale), Rabiu Saleh (Gwarzo), Zubairu Mahmud (Madobi), Yusuf Abdullahi Falgore (Rogo), Hamza Sule Bichi  (Bichi) and Isiaku Ali Danja (Gezaw).

     

     

     

  • ‘Why I will not defect to PDP’

    A former Edo State Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Comrade Osakpamwan Eriyo, has said that he will not defect to the Peoples Democratic Party.

    Eriyo, the former Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association (RTEAN), said he disliked jumping from one political party to another.

    Eriyo said the PDP is dead across the country.

    He told reporters in Benin city, the state capital, that the APC is the toast of Nigerians for 2019.

    Eriyo said those defecting to he PDP were ones who cripped the economy.

    He said: “Is PDP a party? The PDP is not a party. The party that everybody recognise and everybody is clamouring to vote for is the APC. That is where I still remain.

    “The PDP should check my history if I am a person that move from party to party. I believe in APC. We are at the Bénin Airport to receive our national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

    Eriyo added: “We have more than 5000 persons waiting for Oshiomhole. There is a reason we believe in APC, it is because of Oshiomhole. Those waiting for me to defect to the PDP or other parties are wasting their time. Why should I leave a great a party like the APC to the PDP?

    “I will rather quit politics than for me join the PDP. We have believe in the APC. The defection you are seeing is because those leaving the APC do not have the people at heart.

    “Those leaving the APC has caused damage to our country. They are only going back to their former party.”